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Two Drug-Related Legislative Plans Pose Problems For Stakeholders
"The Senate dealt a blow to the drug lobby Thursday by voting to permit people in the United States to order lower-cost drugs from Canada over the Internet," the Associated Press/Arizona Republic reports. The drugs in question are often made in the U.S., and then sold abroad for lower prices than at home because because of government policies in many other countries. The bill would make it legal to re-import those drugs more readily. The drug provision passed as an amendment to a Department of Homeland Security funding bill and was introduced by Republican Louisianna Sen. David Vitter (Taylor, 7/9).

Acupuncture Aid For Diabetics, UK
More than 2.2 million people in Britain suffer from type 2 diabetes*, a chronic progressive disease which usually affects the over 40s. The number of people diagnosed with the disease has increased dramatically in recent years and this has been linked to the increase in sedentary lifestyles and obesity.
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How First And Second Languages Are Represented In The Brain Of A Bilingual Person
A new study carried out at the University of Haifa sheds light on how first and second languages are represented in the brain of a bilingual person. A unique single case study that was tested by Dr. Raphiq Ibrahim of the Department of Learning Disabilities and published in the Behavioral and Brain Functions journal, showed that first and second languages are represented in different places in the brain.
Sexual Health

Gene Test Determines Transplant Drug Tolerance

A simple genetic test can determine a kidney transplant patient"s tolerance for a potent anti-rejection medication, according to an upcoming study in the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). The test could allow doctors to individualize each patient"s dose, optimizing the drug"s benefits and minimizing its side effects. Cyclosporine A is an important immunosuppressant therapy for individuals who receive kidney transplants without it, many patients would experience organ rejection and would not survive. Unfortunately, cyclosporine A can cause serious side effects such as elevated blood pressure, increased risk of infections and cancers, and kidney function deterioration. The frequency and severity of cyclosporine A-related side effects vary among patients, even at comparable cyclosporin A levels in the blood. Determining which patients are more sensitive than others is a challenge for physicians who prescribe the medication. Giuseppe Remuzzi, MD, FRCP, and Piero Ruggenenti, MD (Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Italy), and their colleagues, hypothesized that genetics may influence patients" susceptibilities to cyclosporine A"s side effects. In particular, they suspected that variations in a gene called ABCB1, which creates a protein that transports drugs out of cells, may play a role. In individuals who have certain genetic changes in the ABCB1 gene, the transporting protein is sluggish so that when a drug is present, it lingers within cells and tissues. This can amplify the drug"s effects. After studying the genetics of 147 kidney transplant recipients, the researchers found that patients with these genetic changes in the ABCB1 gene were more likely to experience side effects after receiving cyclosporine A than patients without the variants. These effects included delayed functioning of the transplanted kidney, increased need for anti-hypertensive medications, and the development of diabetes, infections, and cancers. "The identification of particular genetic variants performed before transplantation, while patients are on the waiting list, could provide useful information to tailor cyclosporine A dose as early as possible after transplantation, with the ultimate goal to decrease toxicity, improve efficacy, and increase long-term graft survival," said Dr. Remuzzi. The authors report no financial disclosures. ASN is a not-for-profit organization of 11,000 physicians and scientists dedicated to the study of nephrology and committed to providing a forum for the promulgation of information regarding the latest research and clinical findings on kidney diseases. ASN publishes JASN, the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN), and the Nephrology Self-Assessment Program (NephSAP). In January 2009, the Society will launch ASN Kidney News, a newsmagazine for nephrologists, scientists, allied health professionals, and staff. American Society of Nephrology (ASN)


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